Silence
by Strawberry4evr
Summary: An incident that occurred in 1959 has rendered Edward mute. But when a mysterious, silent-minded girl stumbles into his life, will he speak again? TWOSHOT
1. Chapter 1

"Emmett, please," Edward muttered for the tenth time. Carlisle looked up the stairs to see two of his three sons meet at the top, glaring at each other.

"If you don't like what you see, stay out of my head," Emmett growled.

Carlisle went back to his seat beside Esme, his other son, and both his daughters. The girls rolled their eyes as the boys began arguing; this happened at least twice a week, and almost always ended with a fight.

"Stop it!" They heard Emmett shout, and suddenly Edward was tumbling down the stairs, despite being a vampire, unable to correct his footing. He landed on his back at the end, his feet sliding off the bottom step with a soft thud.

It took everyone a moment to notice how Edward had taken the fall, as his reaction was so unexpected. He didn't get up, but instead covered his face with trembling hands, and began to respirate heavier with each passing breath.

Emmett, confused and concerned for his brother, fearing he might have actually been hurt, began to descend the stairs, but as he did so the top one creaked. Edward's eyes flashed open, and he began to slide himself further away from his aproaching brother. But he only managed to back himself into a wall. He watched Emmett coming closer with wide, panicked eyes before pulling his knees to his chest and hiding his face in them.

Still confused, Emmett tried to put a consoling hand on his brother's shoulder, only to pull it back as Edward flinched away. "It's happening again," Edward sobbed into his knees, and the light bulb flickered on above Carlisle Cullen's head.

"Emmett, step back," He ordered, walking slowly closer to Edward. Emmett did as he was told, and walked away to sit next to Esme in Carlisle's former place.

"Edward," Carlisle murmured, reaching out to his first son. Edward looked up and saw, not the man he thought to be there, but Carlisle, the man who took him in, and had helped him through a very large and prominent part of his existence.

A sob escaped his lips as he slid down the wall until he was lying on his side on the polished floor. Tearless, pain ridden sobs wracked Edward's frame, and he stayed this way, until Carlisle gently picked him up and carried him to his room.

An hour later Edward was still lying on the couch in his room, with Carlisle sitting on the floor beside him. "They want an explanation," Carlisle guessed, and watched as his son nodded slightly. Not a word or sound had passed between the two until this moment, as the 'tears' had stopped long ago. "Will you allow me to give them one?"

Again Edward nodded, aware of what his father was implying. But Carlisle made no move to get up, seeing the pain in his son's eyes. "Would you be willing to talk to your mother about this?" He asked gently. "She has been through a similar experience."

Edward shook his head, and Carlisle didn't blame him. Yes, Esme has been in a situation that was similar in definition, but not similar in any way in reality. "Shall I tell them now?" Carlisle inquired, and watched as Edward tilted his head down slightly, and kept it that way.

A nod.

This lack of response worried Carlisle deeply, but he stood from his place on the floor and quietly made his way down the stairs that Edward had the misfortune to be pushed down not an hour before. "Carlisle," Everyone breathed as he came into view. "What happened?"

"Just a fall," Carlisle replied, "It's the memories that have come with the fall that are causing his pain."

"What memories?" Alice inquired, worried for he favourite brother.

Carlisle sighed. "Before I turned him, Edward was very heavily abused by his father, and unfortunately this was mostly because he was trying to stop his father hitting his mother. It deeply wounded him that whenever he stopped his mother being beaten, or he was just beaten himself, his mother made no move to stop his father. He once told me that his father took the carpet off the stairs just so it would be more painful for him and his mother if his father ever wanted to push them down them."

Emmett's eyes lit with guilt and pain for his brother. "I have to tell him I'm sorry," He cried, jumping up, but Carlisle stopped him.

"Don't. Edward's in a very fragile state right now, and seeing you might make it worse," Carlisle's voice was firm, and Emmett felt almost forced to sit back down.

Days passed, and Edward didn't come out of his room. The days became a week, and finally he stepped outside. "Edward!" Alice exclaimed, as her favourite brother carefully descended the stairs. "You're eyes a pitch black! Do you want to come hunting with Jasper and I?"

Edward stared at her blankly, not speaking or making any movement, but not ignoring her. Instead he walked outside and into the forest. "Why did he ignore me?" Alice asked Carlisle, who sat on the couch behind her.

"Don't be worried," Carlisle smiled at his daughter. "It's a defense mechanism that I've seen many times before. He's afraid to speak in case he says something wrong and he is hurt again; him walking outside was a way of showing you that he would like to hunt, but whether you accompany him is your choice. It will wear off, don't worry."

Over fifty years passed and still Edward hadn't spoken. His siblings felt cut off from him, and his parents worried for him daily. For almost ten years Carlisle tried to reassure everyone that it would wear off, but by the fifteenth year he gave up, worrying for his son just as much as the others.

The teachers at his schools were told he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, and refused to speak, which in a way was true. He was never asked questions in class, and never had to speak.

A new girl was starting their current school, and his siblings hoped that something would make him happy enough to speak. They watched Edward as he he watched the girl - Bella Swan - as she entered the cafeteria. No emotion passed across his face, and as Jasper slumped back in his seat they knew his emotions hadn't changed at all.

But Edward still watched the girl, and soon realised he couldn't read her thoughts. For the briefest of moments he considered voicing this discovery to his siblings, but quickly thought against it as Emmett spoke to him. "See anything you like?"

Edward glanced at him, but otherwise didn't reply to his brother. The bell rang and Edward dismally made his way to bioligy. Soon after the new girl came in, and as she walked passed her scent hit like a ton of bricks. She sat next to him, and he glared at her. To him she was satan himself, or herself, he guessed, here to tempt him and make him fail in his endeavour to be as good as Carlisle.

He lasted the hour, and when it ended, he did the only thing he could do.

He ran.

But he didn't just run to his car; he didn't just run home; he ran all the way Denali, and stayed with his cousins. Alice had seen his decision and the Denalis were prewarned with a phone call from a very concerned Esme.

During his stay, the Denalis all tried to get Edward to speak. But their efforts were in vain, for Edward was so wrapped up his thoughts he barely even noticed what was going on around him. He couldn't get the girl out of his mind, her scent, her deep brown eyes, her silent mind.

There was something different about this girl, and he was going to find out what.

A week later, he was sat in bioligy waiting for the girl to arrive. She was one of the last, and her scent saturated the room immediately, making him wince. It scorched his throat but as she sat next to him his resolve hardened. Swallowing convulsively, he took a deep breath and uttered the first words he had spoken in over half a century.

"Hi, I'm Edward Cullen."


	2. Chapter 2

The Cullen children heard every word, as they had been listening out for any signs of Edward's control breaking. Jasper and Emmett, who were sharing that class at that time, glanced at each other in wonder. This simple, sweet smelling, human girl had managed to get their brother to speak.

They met him in the car, half expecting him to speak. He didn't though, so neither did they. They watched and listened as he spoke to the girl, however, savouring the sound of his voice. Then he saved her life, and exposed them.

He spoke to his family then, arguing with them, defending the girl he was learning to love, and he never stopped. Edward never went silent again.

Then the girl worked out their secret, and Edward argued with Rosalie, laughing at her thoughts as she snarled at him. But inside she was smiling, revelling in the sound of her brother's laugh.

None were more relieved than Carlisle and Esme though, so when Edward brought her home for the first time they welcomed her like she was already one of their own. Bella was loved for saving their loneliest and most broken family member, and completing them all.

Bella may never know this, but when she stumbled into their loves the Cullens didn't just gain a sister, but they regained a brother too.


End file.
